Legrain, Pierre ( 1889-1929 )
An outstanding French bookbinding designer of the
20th century. Legrain's early career was that of
illustrator and theater painter, and it was not
until 1917 that he became associated with the
bibliophile Jacques Doucet and became interested
in bookbinding. Under Doucet's encouragement
Legrain literally established the profession of
artist-designer of bookbindings in France.
Although he never himself bound a book he
abandoned the restrictions of tradition in book
decoration, and established, by means of his
adaption of artistic traits of contemporary art,
the course of creative bookbinding in France for
decades to come. Letter forms (titles, etc.) were
an important part of his designs, and in his most
mature style, he used color and texture of
leather, as well as conventional tools and onlays
of traditional binding, in new and imaginative
designs related to abstract art. (89 , 347 )
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